Scott Weiland Cleared of Bogus Arrest Claims

Scott Weiland said he wasn't in jail for burglary and meth possession, and he meant it: The former Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver frontman has been revealed as the victim of mistaken identity confusion by TMZ and the Los Angeles Police Department.

As we previously reported, Weiland engaged in a social media war of words -- and threatened legal action -- against the gossip site after it reported that he'd been arrested for the aforementioned crimes and was cooling his heels in the hoosegow because he couldn't afford bail. TMZ received backup from an LAPD spokesperson who agreed that Weiland was in custody, despite Weiland's angry insistence (and video proof) that he was in a recording studio.

Now ABC News Radio reports that the police department has now retracted its earlier statement, explaining that they only arrested someone who looked like Weiland. The article notes that "an investigation into the guy's identity is under way."

According to the Los Angeles Times, the inmate in question is actually 44-year-old Jason Michael Hurley, who's being described as an "imposter" who "was able to trick police and jail staff into thinking he was the famous rocker ... for about four weeks before it was discovered Thursday, thanks to the real Weiland's video."

Whether Weiland will pursue a lawsuit against TMZ is unclear, but Hurley is definitely in trouble for pulling this stunt; in addition to the original charges, he's now being accused of giving false information to police officers.